Do you know where the line of the old hymn "Jesus doeth all things well" comes from? It's from a passage of Scripture we looked on this day from the Gospel of Mark.Pastor Chris began the teaching by asking what God has been up to since the Fall in the Garden of Eden. You could make a strong theological case for saying "re-creation." In Matthew 15, …

The Book of Ephesians was summed up by author Watchman Nee this way in his book by the same title: "Sit, Walk, Stand." On this final Sunday in our series on Ephesians, Pastor Chris used that phrase to recap Paul's letter. The teaching ended with a look at what Paul's admonition to "put on the armor of God" might ultimately mean.…

Pastor Jay Dudley gave us a glimpse into the teaching content he shared at the Epiclesis-sponsored Trail Life troop's summer camp, June 2024. Jay serves as the troop's chaplain, and his sermon on this day explored three biblical stories of "garment gifts" that yielded insights into the meaning of salvation-- and a look at those gifts also set up a …

We're in part three of a four-part look at Paul's letter to the Ephesian church. This time, we're looking at chapter 5 where he says, "be careful how you walk." In fact, the construction in the original language is more like be "carefully careful." What's Paul warning us about, and what's he assuming, about the way we walk and live in the world? Al…

The Church needs to grow up. The Apostle Paul said so. But where did his authority come from, and just who gets to be an Apostle, anyway?In this second in the series on Ephesians, Pastor Chris took a look at those questions, plus talked about what it means for the Church to grow up.توسط Pastor Chris Alford

Do you ever get a commercial jingle stuck in your head? They're catchy, and sometimes we quote or sing them without really knowing what the product is. Sometimes Bible verses can be that way-- even monumentally important Bible verses. We know the verses, but we're not sure about the original and intended context and meaning.In this first of a serie…

Dr. Carl Peters was the guest on this Sunday and he brought a message about division-- but not the mathematic kind. We live in a day when so many are divided and mired in disagreement. Where does the division come from, and how can we heal the great divide? Along the way we also talked about the work of the devil, "two races" of humankind, and a wa…

It is when I run out of my strength that God shows up. In this sixth and final of the series on 2 Corinthians, Pastor Chris shares a beautiful treatment by the late theologian Marva Dawn on a pivotal passage in chapter 12.We took a close look at some of the Greek text, but the main focus was on another, refreshing possibility of a translation that …

The Bible is full of examples of weakness-- and the way that God shows up in and uses weakness. Why is it that we Christians are still beguiled by worldly power and those who wield it? Join Pastor Chris for the fifth in a six-part series in 2 Corinthians as he lays a foundation of weakness by listing some of the many examples in Scripture where hum…

Dr. Dianne Collard, along with husband Glenn, was on hand on this Sunday morning to give us an update on her life in ministry. Epiclesis has long been a supporter of Dianne Collard and her ministries through the arts, which include “Montage International” and “Meraki Connection.” Dianne is the Europe Director for “Artists in Christian Testimony, In…